1 Introduction2 Steps for Selling Your Laptop on eBay2.1 Prerequisites Before Selling2.2 Build a Good eBay Profile2.3 Find Out What Costs You Will Incur as an eBay Seller2.4 What is Your Laptop Worth?2.5 Set the Auction Low to Attract Bargain Hunter2.6 Take High Quality Pictures of Your Laptop2.7 Timing it Right2.8 Write a Detailed Description2.9 Offer PayPal as a Payment Option3 Other Considerations3.1 Sale Complete: The Job Is Not Done Yet!3.2 Always Keep Proof of Shipment
Also Read: How Much Should I Spend on a Laptop? If your laptop is missing important parts, has broken hinges, bad battery cells or it is simply not in the best condition, make sure you have that noted in the listing, otherwise, you will get a negative rating! eBay buyers rely on the description of the items being sold. Before you go ahead and put up a listing, make sure that everything is described 100%, as accurately as possible.
Steps for Selling Your Laptop on eBay
Prerequisites Before Selling
Ask yourself, is selling this laptop really worth the effort? Don’t forget that you still have to pack your laptop, pay eBay fees, generate a shipping label and drop your parcel off at FedEx or UPS. Does your laptop look like it had been buried under a bridge?Will you have to tell any lies about the present condition of your laptop to make a sale?Is there something missing that the buyer would need to use the laptop properly? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you should probably not list your laptop on eBay. However, there are exceptions, you can still sell your machine as long as you describe it perfectly. If it is in really bad shape, it can still be sold as defective. Someone may even acquire it for parts. Also Read: How Long Does a Gaming Laptop Last?
Build a Good eBay Profile
Wouldn’t it be great if you could just open an eBay account and sell your laptop right away? In theory, this is how it works, however, there are some prerequisites. A buyer would want to know if they’re making a purchase from someone trustworthy, after all, you’re just a stranger on the internet with no credibility. A good idea is to purchase a couple inexpensive items first so your eBay account has some positive feedback. Other eBay users can then see your feedback and bid on your laptop with confidence. You also want to focus on choosing a good username. You should pick something that looks professional and instills confidence. No one wants to bid on a laptop from someone with the username ninjaboy89!
Find Out What Costs You Will Incur as an eBay Seller
Before you list your laptop, the first thing you should do is figure out what it is worth since it will factor in determining the cost of your listing. We understand that you’re looking to make a profit, which is why we want you to be aware of the additional costs involved. eBay distinguishes between different categories of seller fees in the United States. The fee structure is different for private and commercial sellers. Since you are a private seller, in most categories you can count on a 10% commission, which eBay takes for the mediation. Also Read: How to Choose The Right Laptop For School If the sale is processed through PayPal (which I highly recommend for security purposes), this is going to cost you an additional 35 cents per transaction plus a percentage of the final sale price.
What is Your Laptop Worth?
eBay offers a tool that shows you similar items that have been sold recently along with their sales price. Simply search eBay for similar laptops and check the “Items sold” box, so you can quickly get an idea of what you can expect to receive for your machine. You should also make sure that you calculate the shipping fees correctly, otherwise, you could end up paying extra for the shipping costs. A preferred way to do this is to use eBay’s shipping tool which calculates the price according to the location of the buyer automatically. One downside for this is that the buyer knows how much he is paying for the item and shipping separately. High shipping costs may put off some buyers from bidding on your laptop.
Set the Auction Low to Attract Bargain Hunter
your listing at a high price. Instead, start at a lower point to attract attention. Don’t worry, as the auction end comes close you’ll see a bidding war. In the end, you will end up getting a good price for your laptop. However, please keep in mind that this trick doesn’t always work. If you are trying to sell your laptop at a time when people are not looking to make a purchase, it can backfire! So please act accordingly. A good time to sell is during the holidays or even during summers.
Take High Quality Pictures of Your Laptop
Good pictures of your laptop will increase the chance of getting a good price. Buyers will offer a lot more if they can get a better idea of the condition your computer is in. If there are any additional accessories for the laptop you are selling, take photos of them as well. Whether accessories or the original packaging, everything should be clearly visible in the pictures. You don’t need a really good camera to get good photos, a phone camera will do just fine! Natural daylight is always the best option to provide the clearest possible images, a little more light (from a desk lamp) can make a noticeable difference. Just make sure that your light source doesn’t cast a shadow. Remember that 12 pictures can be uploaded to your listing for free! If you want to add more photos then you will have to pay a small fee. However, 12 pictures are more than enough!
Timing it Right
Before you put your laptop up on eBay, you want to be strategic about when you’d like to start and end your auction. In general, Sundays are a good time to close out since this is when most casual shoppers are browsing. For this reason, auctions that end on a Sunday evening fetch the highest amounts. So if you’re going for a 10 day auction, go ahead and start your auction on Thursday to attract the maximum number of buyers.
Write a Detailed Description
Now for the hard part: you need to write an engaging description for your laptop to sell on eBay. It’s important that you take the time to do this because a good description can really make the difference between selling and not selling. eBay gives you the option of using up to 55 characters in your ad title, so make the most of it. Include as many important details as possible here. Avoid funny checkmarks or special characters that are not intended here. Use the space and include important information such as: Model, Processor, RAM, HD size, condition (new, very good), color, etc.
Offer PayPal as a Payment Option
I cannot recommend enough that you need to accept payments via PayPal – despite the annoying fees that arise per sale here, you should offer PayPal. Buyers love to pay with PayPal because they feel secure and because a payment can be made with just a few clicks.
Other Considerations
Sale Complete: The Job Is Not Done Yet!
You can’t relax yet! Once the sale is complete, you should send your buyer a confirmation email as soon as possible in which they will be billed for the full amount, including shipping costs. You don’t have to write the mail yourself, one click in the eBay Seller platform and the email will go out on its own. You should also send your buyers another email once you’ve received payment and let them know when you will ship the laptop. Buyers appreciate being kept up to date, and if you are a good communicator chances are you’ll get positive feedback without asking. Make sure that you send the laptop as quickly as possible and be careful not to be too optimistic about shipping times. If you estimate that it will 2 days for the laptop to arrive, but the buyer ends up receiving it later, you may get a negative review or the buyer may contact eBay. Once the transaction is complete, don’t forget to leave your buyer a great review. This leads most to return the favor and you will end up getting some positive feedback as well!
Always Keep Proof of Shipment
You should send your laptop out via UPS or Fedex as an insured package and always keep proof of postage such as tracking numbers. Unfortunately, there are also black sheep on eBay who claim an item has not arrived even though they already have it. You may also like: How Much Should I Spend on a Laptop? How Long Does a Gaming Laptop Last? How to Choose The Right Laptop For School
